The product of boredom
by Kinumi
Summary: During another boring day of playing go with Shikamaru, Ino decides to spice things up a bit and play matchmaker for Naruto and Hinata....but she may become the victim of love as well! NaruHina and ShikaIno
1. Ino: Matchmaker Extrodinair!

I always wanted to do a ShikaIno fic…I love those two! Although I couldn't get away from adding in some NaruHina. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: This poor college girl doesn't even own a car, let alone Naruto. 

~~~~

"So boring…"

It was a beautiful, picture perfect day. The sun was shining, the clouds were fluffy and bright, and a gentle breeze permeated throughout the village. So why was Yamanaka Ino hunched over a go board with Konoha's number one bore? Well, she didn't quite know herself. Ino yawned to herself and stretched, narrowly missing her fellow teammate Shikamaru's face. 

"Oi, watch it Ino!" He complained with a half-bored tone. "You almost poked my eye out." Shikamaru sighed and placed his go piece on the board. 

"Well, at least that would be _some excitement," Ino complained, sticking her stone on the board. "I hate go…this game is so boring! And you always beat me anyways. What's the point?" Irritably, she fiddled with her stones, trying to stack them._

"I'm sorry I asked you to play then," Shikamaru said stiffly as Ino's stack of go stones fell over. "If my company is so undesirable, why aren't you working at the flower shop?"  

"Business is slow," Ino replied, scooping up her fallen stones and dumping them in the bucket one by one. "My mother said I could have the day off and have some fun. But I should've known we'd do the same boring stuff we always do."

"Maybe you'd have more fun watching Chouji eat then," Shikamaru said, placing another go stone on the board. He frowned. 

"Why are you so upset, Shikamaru?" Ino asked curiously, noticing the boy's expression. "You never used to get mad when I called your old man games boring." Absently she placed another stone on the go board.

"No reason," Shikamaru said blankly, easily capturing another one of Ino's stones. With an exasperated sigh, Ino threw her hands up in frustration, which promptly came into contact with the person behind her. Startled, Ino spun around to face the person she'd smacked and knocked over, and was surprised to see that it was the timid heir to the Hyuuga clan. Hinata…that was her name. 

"I'm sorry!" Ino apologized, bending down to help the young girl up. "I didn't mean to knock you down!" 

"I told you that you'd poke someone's eye out," Shikamaru grumbled. 

"N-No, it's my fault!" The shy Hyuuga girl said, wiping the dust off her pants. "I wasn't paying attention to where I was going." 

"Are you in a hurry?" Ino wondered. 

"Well…I guess," Hinata said, her face turning red. "I just needed to buy something..."

"Buy something?" Ino perked up immensely. "That sounds like fun! What were you looking for! Maybe we can help!"

"We?" Shikamaru echoed, putting away his go stones, as it looked like Ino had caught wind of something else to do. She ignored him. 

"Um….that's really nice of you," Hinata stammered, her face turning redder. "But I don't thi-" Hinata was cut off as Ino abruptly  grabbed her arm and started leading her to the village's shopping center. 

"Come on, Shikamaru!" Ino called expectantly, looking over her shoulder. 

"How troublesome," Shikamaru muttered to himself, following after Ino, who was practically dragging poor Hinata.

"So, what were you going to buy?" Ino asked with a particularly wide grin as she relinquished Hinata's arm. "A new dress? Some makeup perhaps?" Trying on clothes wouldn't be a bad way to spend the time…and helping Hinata was an even better way. The girl needed some serious help in the fashion department.  

"N-no, I was going to buy a…a present for someone," Hinata said, flushing bright crimson. She twiddled her thumbs together nervously.

"Ooooh, for who?" Ino asked eagerly, poking Hinata's side. "Is it for a boy you like?" Hinata's face turned even redder, confirming Ino's suspicions. Well well, this day had certainly taken a more interesting turn! Ino smiled gleefully as she imagined which leaf boy could have possibly captured the interest of this shy girl. 

"It's not Sasuke is it?" She asked. "I wouldn't be surprised…he _is _very cute, although you'd have a lot of competition from just about every girl in Konoha!" Ino sighed inwardly at this. Her dream of being with Sasuke had been abandoned a few years ago, which didn't faze her as much as she thought it would've. She only really chased him because of her rivalry with Sakura. After Sasuke had been brought back to Konoha village that day three years ago…well, she realized that he wasn't exactly her type. She had a hard time forgiving him when Chouji was put in a coma for two months. 

"N-no!" Hinata said, shaking her head furiously. "N-not Sasuke-san."

 "Is it Kiba, your teammate?" Ino wrinkled her nose in distaste. The boy always smelled like dog piss. Ino would overlook him entirely if it weren't for his adorable dog.  

Hinata shook her head feverishly again. 

"Shino?" Ino asked in surprise. That bug boy was really creepy…although he wasn't all that bad looking, she had to admit. But still…who'd want to kiss a guy who'd have bugs crawling out of his mouth or something?

"N-No!" Hinata protested. 

Ino let out a small gasp. "Oh no! It's Neji isn't it?" She exclaimed, raising a hand to her face in horror. "I know some of those clans are into inbreeding…but Hinata! He's your cousin! That's gross!" 

"It's not Neji-nii-san," Hinata reassured her. "He doesn't like me very much anyways," she said softly. 

"Well who is it then?" Ino cried out in frustration. "It's not someone like Naruto, is it?" She gawked at Hinata's red face and silence. No way, it couldn't be! 

"Oh my god!" Ino screamed, causing a few bystanders to glare at her disapprovingly. Desperately Ino glanced at Shikamaru, who just _had _to realize what big news this was! His expression remained the same however, although his eyebrows did rise, which Ino knew by now was Shikamaru's way of showing shock. 

"You…and…Naruto!" Ino pointed a shaking finger at Hinata. "I don't believe it!"

"Shhh!" Hinata cried desperately, glancing around nervously to see if anyone else had overheard. 

"What…what do you see in him?" Ino asked breathlessly, blinking rapidly. Average looks, overly loud and obnoxious, not to mention just plain annoying! She couldn't possibly comprehend how the shy, timid Hinata fell for that idiot.  

"H-He's really nice," Hinata stuttered, twiddling her fingers together. "A-And he tries so hard…and he makes me want to become stronger…and…" She trailed off, her face flaming beet red. 

For once in her life, Ino was at a loss for words. She sputtered and gaped at Hinata in shock.

"It makes sense if you think about it," Shikamaru spoke up. "You know the old saying, opposites attract. And there's nothing more opposite than Hinata and Naruto."

"That's for sure," Ino exclaimed incredulously. She turned to address Hinata. "Does he know you like him?" 

"N-No," Hinata said, looking at her feet. "I haven't t-told him if that's what you mean."

"That's it!" Ino cried with sudden conviction, pounding her fist into her hand. "It's now my new mission to fix you guys up! I will make Naruto admit his love to you by tomorrow!" 

"I-Ino-san!" Hinata exclaimed in surprise. "Y-You don't have to! I…I just wanted to get him a birthday present…"

"Oh, we'll get him a good birthday present alright," Ino said with a rather evil smirk. "I'll give you a complete makeover! And then you can practice on Shikamaru! There's no way Naruto will be able to resist you once I'm through with you!" 

"There's no way I'm going to do such a troublesome thing!" Shikamaru objected, and then blanched when Ino shot a hard glare at him. "Fine," he mumbled, admitting defeat. If he argued with Ino now, she'd just give him hell later. Bah, women. 

Hinata barely had time to protest before Ino grabbed her by the arm and started running the rest of the way to the shopping center. 

~~~~

"The first order of business," Ino said whilst browsing through a few store windows. "Is to get Naruto a really personal present to show that you put a lot of thought into it! Now, do you know of anything that he likes a lot or really needs?"

"He likes ramen, that's for sure," Shikamaru muttered.  

"That's no good!" Ino said, cringing. "Might as well get him a tie or something stupid like that!"

"Um…" Hinata spoke up, her voice going unnoticed as Ino unexpectedly stepped into one of the stores.  

 "Now…let's see," Ino said thoughtfully to herself as she browsed through the store. "What would a 16 year old boy want to receive from a girl? Well, Shikamaru?"

"Don't ask me," Shikamaru mumbled. "I don't want anything."

"You're such a bore, Shikamaru!" Ino complained for the millionth time that day. She set down the book she'd been holding (Naruto…a book? What was she thinking?) and moved to another shelf. "So all we know is that he likes ramen," Ino mused to herself. "Not much help if you ask me…" She absently picked up a rice bowl as she thought to herself. 

Hey, wait a minute…bowl? Her brow furrowed as she considered. 

"I've got it!" Ino cried triumphantly, holding the bowl up. 

"A rice bowl?" Shikamaru asked, unimpressed.

"No, you dolt. One of those custom bowls and chopsticks with your name on them! That's a really nice, personal gift, right Hinata? And that way, every time he eats ramen, he'll think of you!" Ino exclaimed, her voice growing excited. "I know a store that does that!" 

"Oh my, that's a really good idea, Ino-san!" Hinata said, her colorless eyes noticeably brightening. "I think he'd really like that!" 

"Of course!" Ino said with pride. "It's practical, yet personal! Now come on!" Once again, Ino grabbed Hinata's wrist and pulled her out of the store. Shikamaru sighed and followed the two kunoichi. 

~~~~

"There you are ma'am," the shop owner said, handing Hinata the bag with Naruto's present in it.

"Thank you!" Hinata said happily, cradling the bag to her chest. After much deliberation by Ino, they had decided on a fox motif, as Naruto had those whisker shaped birthmarks, and she had thought it would've been cute. Naruto's name was etched on both the bowl and the chopsticks. 

"And t-thank you, Ino" Hinata said as the three shinobi walked out of the store. "I appreciate you helping me find a gift for Naruto…"  

"We're not done yet!" Ino said with a broad smile. 

"W-We're not?" Hinata asked weakly, looking a little pale.

"Did you forget about the makeover? I can't let you present your gift to Naruto wearing the same grubby clothes you wear to train! You've got to look good!" Ino said this as if it were obvious. 

"R-Right," Hinata said, almost dropping the bag as she was pulled into the nearest clothing store. 

Shikamaru sighed very loudly as he followed closely. There was nothing more boring than watching women shop. But as long as it kept Ino off his back…it was fine.  

Once they had entered the shop, all was a blur as Ino sped through the store, dumping dresses into Hinata's arms. 

"This one!" cried Ino. "And this one! Oh, this is adorable, try this one too!" Hinata staggered under the weight of the clothes, making her way towards the fitting room before Ino could pile her with any more. 

Ino took a minute to have a breather and sit down next to Shikamaru while Hinata changed. "Isn't this fun?" she exclaimed, clapping her hands together. 

"Yeah…real fun," Shikamaru said sarcastically. 

"Well, we need a male opinion, Shika," Ino pouted. 

"It's so troublesome," Shikamaru complained, putting his head between his hands. "I could be playing shogi with Asuma-sensei." 

"Oh, come on, Shikamaru," Ino said, lightly punching him on the arm. "There's more to life than shogi and go. You're sixteen! Not sixty!" 

"Like what," he asked. 

"Like…girls! Haven't you got a special girl in mind, Shika?" Ino asked with a glint of matchmaking in her eye. 

"Women are nothing but trouble," Shikamaru argued. "They make you do everything for them. Just like now." 

"So you don't have a girl in mind?" Ino said with disappointment.

"Even if I did, it's none of your business," Shikamaru sniffed, his face flushing ever so slightly. Ino was about to question him more until Hinata emerged from the fitting rooms.

"Um…what do you think?" Came Hinata's quiet voice. Ino turned around to see the dress that Hinata had selected; a very pretty Chinese style dress in a pale blue, embroidered with silver swans and waves. It really brought out the color…errr…lack of color in her eyes. 

"That's beautiful!" Ino cried as she admired the dress. "Perfect!" 

"I-It's a little short," Hinata said softly, blushing. She tried to pull the hem down, but it remained firmly on her mid-thighs. "And…really tight." Sure enough, the silk fabric clung snugly to Hinata's curves, exposing a lot more body shape than usual. Hinata shifted uncomfortably under Ino's gaze.  

"It's not that short," Ino remarked. "Besides, you should show a little leg for once! You're always all wrapped up in that huge jacket! Show off a little!" Turning to Shikamaru, she steered Hinata towards him. "Now Shika, if you were Naruto, would you fall instantly in love with this girl?"   

Shikamaru regarded Ino with a "What the hell am I supposed to say?" look and sighing before answering. 

"I guess," Shikamaru admitted. "Naruto's pretty dense though, I don't think he'd realize anything unless Hinata hit him over the head with it." 

"Good point," Ino said, biting a fingernail. "Maybe we should find something that shows a little more skin…"

"No!" Hinata protested firmly, her face red. "I couldn't wear anything more revealing than this!"  

Ino sighed. "I knew you'd say that. Well then, we'll worry about that later. Now it's time for shoes!" Pumping a fist in the air, Ino hauled the Hyuuga girl to the shoe section with a battle cry of triumph. 

~~~~

As they walked out of their last store for the day the sun was just beginning to hide beneath the horizon. Ino was still instructing Hinata on the best way to trap Naruto. 

"Sometimes it's good to tease them," she giggled. "Like…pretend to 'accidentally' show your panties! It drives them wild!"  Hinata blushed furiously. 

"I-I don't know about that," she protested. 

"And when you're kissing him, it's good to add a little tongue," Ino instructed. "It'll definaltly give him a shock, but he'll like it, trust me!" 

Shikamaru rolled his eyes. Ino had hardly any experience with relationships, and was teaching Hinata as if she were a pro. 

"Like you've ever kissed a boy Ino," Shikamaru pointed out. "Guys don't really like it when girls stick their tongues really far down their throats. Or when it's really sloppy and messy."

"Well, you're not an expert either, Shikamaru! How do you know all this?" Ino cried skeptically. So _what _if she didn't exactly have the experience? She'd read enough teen magazines to practically be an expert anyways!  

"I'm smart," he said simply. 

"Prove it!" Ino challenged. "I bet you're just as much of a sloppy kisser than anyone else, Shikamaru!"

Without another word, or even a moment of hesitation, Shikamaru grabbed Ino by the shoulders and planted a firm kiss on her lips. Ino tensed for a moment in shock, before practically melting into Shikamaru's arms as he deepened the kiss. Her head spun and she felt dizzy when he released her lips. 

"You…win," Ino said faintly, her cheeks rosy with her embarrassment. She wobbled unsteadily to regain her balance and glanced over at Hinata, who was staring at the two in surprise with a massive blush. Her head darted back and forth between them.

"That's how you want to kiss," Shikamaru said quietly to Hinata, his face more than a little red. He removed his arms from Ino's shoulder and started walking down the path. Hinata gave Ino one last questioning look before she shuffled after Shikamaru.

Ino's mind reeled as they all walked back home. What had _that been about? Ino had meant for Shikamaru to demonstrate on Hinata, and yet he had reached straight for her. Could it be…that he wasn't so against girls after all? Ino reached up to place a finger on her lips, recalling the sweetness of that kiss. _

"I'm going home," Shikamaru said as his house came into view. "Best of luck tomorrow, Hinata." 

"Well, you're going to be there for moral support you know, Shikamaru!" Ino informed him. 

"What! That's so troublesome! I don't think she wants us there!" He protested.

"Nonsense! We'll hide in the bushes and make sure everything goes according to plan! With Naruto in the picture, something is bound to screw up somehow." Ino said. "And also, I'm going to have to fix your hair and makeup tomorrow Hinata. You should just stay the night so I can do it in the morning and then we can head straight over to Naruto's house!"

"Um…well, alright," Hinata agreed, seeing that there was no way of changing Ino's mind. "Goodbye, Shikamaru-san!" she waved as Shikamaru started ambling towards his front door.

"Be ready at nine AM sharp!" Ino called.

"Yeah, yeah," Shikamaru sighed as he went inside the house. 

"Well," Ino said, looking at Hinata as soon as Shikamaru had left from view. "I guess it's just us! We can stay up all night and have girl talk while eating popcorn! It'll be great!" With a happy squeal, she pulled the speechless Hinata by the arm to her house as fast as possible. "We're going to have so much fun!"  

~~~~

"Rise and shine!" Ino's cheery voice broke the morning silence as she pulled the covers of their spare futon off of Hinata. "Today's the day!" 

Hinata groaned and rubbed her eyes. Ino had talked non-stop last night, needing to know every single detail of Hinata's infatuation with Naruto. While it was nice to confide in someone for once, Ino's incessant babbling could keep anyone from sleeping. And then she had insisted on having a pillow fight, saying it was an absolute must for sleepovers. That had been fun…although they ended up just throwing popcorn at each other. Hinata had never had a friend to do such things with. It was a strange feeling. A nice feeling, but strange.

"I'm awake, Ino-san," Hinata said, sitting up and shaking her thoughts from her head. She needed a clear mind today…

"Great!" Ino cried with merriment, cracking her knuckles. She ran over to a multitude of bags, which were all of Hinata's purchases from yesterday. Tossing Hinata's dress to her for her to change into, Ino began rummaging through them to find all the hair products and makeup they'd bought. Hinata needed a total makeover if she was going to stop that dense Naruto in his tracks. 

"Hey Hinata, wear these!" Ino tossed Hinata a pair of pink lacy panties that she'd practically had to force Hinata to get. 

"But why?" Hinata asked, holding the pink material as if it were radioactive. "It's not like he's going to see it! I'm not going to flash my panties; I don't care what you say!" 

That's what you think, Ino smirked to herself. "Just wear 'em!" She ordered. "It'll give you a boost of self-confidence, believe me!" 

Hinata sighed and did as Ino said. Once she was fully dressed, Ino beckoned for her to sit down so she could do her hair and makeup. As she brushed through Hinata's short dark hair, she considered what to do with it. Ribbons, buns, or clips?

Ribbons, definitely. Pulling a few blue ribbons out that matched Hinata's dress, she weaved them through the longer hair that hung past Hinata's face. That looked great! Privately Ino admired her handiwork as she then moved on to makeup. 

"Ino-san," Hinata said as Ino began applying eye shadow. 

"Yeah?" She answered.

"What about your special person?" Hinata wondered.

"My special person?" Ino blanched at the question. 

"Well…you used to like Sasuke-kun, correct?" Hinata said. "But…I don't think you're right for him Ino-san…"

"Nah, I gave up on him a while ago," Ino sighed. "He's…not really my type after all."

"Who is?" Hinata asked through stiff lips as Ino applied lipstick. 

"I'm not sure…" Ino replied. "I guess I just haven't found my prince charming yet."

"Well…what about Shikamaru?" Hinata said. "He…he's pretty good looking. And when he kissed you…" she trailed off.

Ino blushed at the memory. True…she _had enjoyed that kiss. But…it was Shikamaru! The boy she'd known ever since she was an academy student. The boy who played old man games and was super smart. The boy whom she always squabbled with on missions. It seemed…weird._

But a part of her also said it seemed right. 

"You're done," Ino said, pushing her thoughts away. She helped Hinata up and led her over to a full length mirror. 

"Oh….my," Hinata breathed when she saw herself…or rather the girl who didn't look very much like her at all staring back at her. She looked older, for one thing. Much much older. Her dress emphasized certain…assets and made her seem much taller and thinner. And dammit, those evil silk panties really did make her feel good.

"You look so beautiful!" Ino cried, getting back into her happy mode. "It's time to go knock Naruto dead! Let's go!" 

~~~~

After making a quick stop to recruit Shikamaru, Ino and her creation made their way to Naruto's shabby apartment. Seeking refuge behind some nearby bushes, Ino motioned for Hinata to knock on the door. Hinata swallowed, the hands that were clutching Naruto's present sweating like mad. What was she doing here? She couldn't do this!

"Go, Hinata-chan!" Ino yelled, seeing her hesitation. Hinata frantically nodded, hesitating slightly before knocking quietly.

"Why am I here again?" Shikamaru asked, mostly to himself.

"Quiet, you!" Ino hissed as she saw Naruto come to the door.

There was a long, silent moment where Naruto simply stared at Hinata for a while, his mouth hanging open. Hinata was blushing freely under his gaze.

"Look at him! His jaw is on the floor! We did it!" Ino squealed, shaking Shikamaru by the shoulders in her happiness.

"H-Hinata," Naruto said once he'd regained his ability to speak. "Why are you dressed like…that?"

"Say it's for you…say it's for you!" Ino whispered to herself, crossing her fingers, hoping Hinata had the sense to say that. 

"Happybirthdaynaruto," Hinata mumbled so fast it was inaudible, shoving the gift into his hands, choosing to ignore the question completely. Another moment passed as Naruto dimly realized something was shoved into his hands, and he wrenched his eyes away from the girl in front of him. 

"You knew it was my birthday?" He asked excitedly, ripping the wrapping paper off the gift.

"Y-Yes! I…I mean…I asked I-Iruka-sensei when it was, and h-he said it was today…s-so I thought I-I might g-get you a little something…i-if you don't like it…I-I can take it back…and…" Hinata took a breath and just decided to stop talking.

Ino smacked her forehead. "What is that girl doing? She's blowing it!" she whispered to Shikamaru, who just shrugged.  

Throwing the last of the wrapping paper to the ground, Naruto's eyes lit up as he looked at the bowl and chopsticks. 

"Wow! This is great! They even have my name on them and everything!" He exclaimed as Hinata's eyes widened with happiness. 

"Y-you really like it?" She asked hopefully.

"Yeah! I really do!" Naruto smiled. "I can't believe you went to all that trouble to find out when my birthday was! You're a really good friend, Hinata!"

"R-Right," Hinata said, her face falling.

"WHAT!?" Ino practically launched herself from the bushes to tackle Naruto and knock him senseless, and would have if Shikamaru hadn't grabbed the collar of her shirt and pulled her back. 

"Calm down, Ino," Shikamaru warned. "He'll hear you."

"Gah! He still thinks of her as a friend!?" Ino cursed. "That dumbass can't even see what's right in front of him! Why else would Hinata get all dressed up like that? Is he an idiot or something?" Ino ripped a leaf from the bush and tore it up angrily, throwing the pieces to the ground as hard as she could and stomping on them. 

"Are you done throwing a tantrum?" Shikamaru asked. "Naruto's as thick as they come. He wouldn't realize someone's feelings unless they outright told him…and Hinata's too shy to do that."

"Then it looks like I'm going to have to take matters into my own hands," Ino said, forming her fingers into her signature seal. "Watch my body, Shikamaru…and don't do anything funny with it!"

"I-Ino!" Shikamaru protested. "You're not going to-"

Too late. "Shintenshin no Jutsu!" Ino felt a familiar tugging motion as her consciousness was pulled from her body and shoot towards Hinata's body. She was distinctly aware of the ground rushing past her, and then it all went black as Ino came into contact with Hinata's, who immediately went slack and hung over limply as Ino took control over her body.    

"-ou okay Hinata?" 

Taking complete control, Ino adjusted enough to realize Naruto was shaking her.

"Hinata! What happened? You just fell asleep all of a sudden! Are you okay?" 

Regaining composure, Ino smiled with Hinata's body and nodded. 

"Oh yes! I just…felt a little sick, that's all!" Ino protested, hoping that sounded convincing. 

From the bushes, Shikamaru groaned and smacked his forehead with his palm. "She sounds nothing like her," he grumbled. Naruto however, didn't seem to notice. It figured. 

"Hey Naruto," Ino asked, getting an idea. "Why don't I make you some ramen for your new ramen bowl and chopsticks?" 

"Wow! Really? You'd do that for me Hinata?" He asked in disbelief, opening the door to let Hinata in. "Thanks!" 

Ino winked at the direction of the bushes at Shikamaru and stepped inside.

"Oh man," Shikamaru said, looking down at Ino's body which was currently in his lap. "This can't end well…poor Hinata."

~~~~

Ino's eyes widened as she saw the messy interior of Naruto's apartment. The boy was a slob! For the tenth time that day, she wondered exactly what it was that Hinata saw in such a guy. 

"The kitchen is over here," Naruto instructed her. "Can you make miso ramen? That's my favorite!" He said, practically drooling over his excitement over eating home cooked ramen.

I'll give you something to drool over, Naruto! Ino thought evilly as she grabbed a pot and began cooking.  

The ramen was rather simple to cook, at least for her. Ino had cooked many a bowl for herself while her family was busy with the flower shop. And she was pretty good, if she did say so herself. 

"That looks delicious!" Naruto said, peeking over Ino's shoulder. Ino resisted the urge to hit him. The idiot was more interested in the ramen than he was in the girl all dolled up in front of him! Ino bit her tongue to keep herself from lashing out at him.

I'm Hinata now, Ino reminded herself. She had to make Naruto fall in love with her for Hinata, since Hinata wouldn't do it herself. 

"It's ready!" Ino said in a sing song voice as she spooned the ramen into Naruto's custom bowl. She served it to him, and he promptly started chowing down. Ino pulled a chair out from the table and sat down across from him. It was now or never…

"Aren't you going to have any, Hinata?" Naruto asked through a mouthful of ramen. He looked up at her expectantly, his blue eyes bright with his excitement. He did have pretty eyes, Ino had to admit. 

"No thanks, Naruto-kun," she said, mustering up as much sweetness as possible. It was time to get this boy's attention…one way or the other. Angling her legs so that they were in Naruto's line of view, she hitched up her skirt a little and crossed them, allowing a small amount of pink fabric to show through. No man could resist the power of pink panties! Ino prepared herself for a small flush of embarrassment when Naruto 'accidentally' took a peek. Clearing her throat, she looked over to see Naruto's gaze firmly fixed on…his bowl of ramen. 

Ino practically screamed with frustration. Fine…the time for being subtle was over. If Naruto couldn't catch a clue, she would spell it out for him. 

"Naruto-kun," Ino said as sweet as she possibly could. "I have one more present for you…"

"Another one?" Naruto's surprise was so great that he'd actually stopped stuffing his face for a minute. 

"Yes, but you have to close your eyes," Ino instructed. "It's a surprise." 

Obediently, Naruto clenched his eyes shut and sat there, waiting for his present. Ino cringed inwardly before standing up and walking over towards him. He had ramen dribbling down his chin, and as disgusted as Ino was, she had to confess that it was sort of cute…for some strange reason that she couldn't figure out. 

Maybe I'm finally seeing what Hinata sees in Naruto, Ino thought. Taking a deep breath, she leaned over and placed her lips on Naruto's, trying to imitate what Shikamaru had done to her.

She had expected Naruto to be surprised, but she didn't think he'd fall over. Half a moment after she kissed him he buckled and fell to the ground like a rag doll, staring at Ino in utter shock. His face was bright red. 

Oh for…Naruto was just like Hinata when it came to romance! Those two were more alike than she had thought. Ino mentally rolled her eyes as she stared at the self proclaimed number one ninja in Konaha lying on the floor staring at her with a face that was redder than a tomato. 

"H-Hinata!" was all he managed to squeak out. His mouth opened and closed.  

Ok then…it was time to start acting more like Hinata, or else he Naruto might get a little suspicious. Ino allowed a blush to spread across her cheeks and she turned away as if embarrassed. 

"I-I'm sorry, Naruto-kun," Ino stammered. "I-I just…I…really like you! I-I guess I'd better go…"

There! She'd said it for Hinata…now Naruto knew! The thick idiot couldn't be oblivious now that she'd said it outright. Mustering up a few tears for good measure, Ino ran out of Naruto's house, trying to make it as dramatic as possible. Naruto seemed too stunned to even move a muscle. 

"Ino!" Shikamaru cried when she came into sight.

Holding her fingers together in the cancel seal, Ino quickly reversed the jutsu, feeling her mind head back to its original home. She opened her eyes and found herself sprawled over Shikamaru's lap. Blushing for real now, Ino quickly stood up.

"Grab Hinata's body," Shikamaru," Ino instructed. "We've got to carry her back home before Naruto goes to see her."

"Right," Shikamaru agreed, picking up Hinata's motionless body. "Looks like she'll be out of it for a little while."

"Only for about 10 minutes," Ino said. "So hurry!" 

The two members of Team 10 carted the unconscious body of the Hyuuga girl halfway across town, to where her huge family mansion resided. 

"Do we take her inside?" He wondered. 

"She should be fine on this bench," Ino answered, motioning to a fancy bench within the main gates. Shikamaru set her down carefully. He turned to Ino.

"How did it go?" he asked. Ino grinned.

"Well…let's just say that Naruto won't be ignoring Hinata anymore," she replied, crossing her arms.    

Shikamaru shook his head and sighed. "Oh well, I guess it's a good thing for her…if Naruto really does realize now. Still…you did so much meddling." He regarded Ino with a strange look. "You didn't kiss him or anything, did you?"

"Well, maybe a little," Ino said with a small smile. "I had to get that boy's attention _somehow_."

Shikamaru sniffed but didn't answer. Ino felt a jolt of shock run through her when she realized that he was jealous. 

"You're jealous!" She exclaimed. 

"Why would I be!?" Shikamaru cried indignantly, his face flushing slightly. 

"Because after you kissed me yesterday, you fell madly in love with me!" Ino answered, dancing around Shikamaru. 

"I-I didn't do such a troublesome thing!" He said, his flushing more prominent now. "I'm going to the barbeque restaurant…I have a game of shogi to play with Asuma-sensei."

"I'll go with you," Ino said, walking alongside him. "I like shogi!"

Shikamaru stared at her. "Since when?" he asked in disbelief.  

Ino smiled. "Since now," she answered, hesitantly placing her hand in his. The two walked in silence for the rest of the way. 

Maybe Hinata hadn't been the only victim of the matchmaking…

~~~~

Poor Ino…she thought she was in charge but she was really just another pawn of love! Hehe, Hinata may not be as much of an obvious matchmaker as Ino, but her subtleness is just as effective! 

I have another chapter in the works…I might type it up if you guys enjoy this fic! Oh, and to those that may be concerned…I haven't given up on my "I'm not alone," story…it's just taking me a while to finish the next chapter! So be patient, I'll get it done. ^_^ 


	2. No! Not Lee!

Well…here it is! Chapter 2! I had no idea this fic would be so well received! Thanks for all the reviews guys! 

Disclaimer: *checks* Nope…still don't own Naruto.

~~~~

Hinata was distinctly aware of the hot afternoon sun beating down mercilessly on her face. Groggily, she sat up, rubbing her pounding head. 

"Wh-What happened?" she mumbled aloud. Taking notice of her surroundings, she let out a small squeak of shock to find herself sitting on the bench within the main gates of her house. The morning's previous events hit her like a sack of bricks. 

Naruto! What had happened? She clearly remembered handing him his gift…and nothing else after that. 

Well…that wasn't entirely true. Naruto had called her a good friend. Hinata smiled bitterly to herself. She probably made a fool of herself by passing out in disappointment and Ino and Shikamaru had to drag her home. That must have been what had happened. 

"I'm so pathetic," she whispered to herself. Ino went through all that trouble to help her…and she could barely put a sentence together. For once in her life, Hinata had felt beautiful. She had felt confidant. And yet the moment she saw his face her knees shook and her palms sweated. She had made an utter fool of herself. 

"Dammit!" She cried vehemently, pounding her fist against the cold hard stone of the bench. "Why am I so stupid!?" She punched the bench again and again, ignoring the bruise that was rapidly appearing. 

"Hey stop!" Came a familiar voice, grabbing her hand. "You're going to hurt yourself!" 

"N-Naruto-kun!?" Hinata stared at the boy kneeling in front of her, holding her bruised hand in shock. She looked away from him, not wanting to meet his eyes. 

"You don't have to be angry at yourself over what happened," Naruto said, pulling a small bandage out and wrapping her hand in it. 

"Yes…I do," Hinata said quietly. "No matter how hard I try, I always screw up."

"Hey, that's my line!" Naruto joked, and then shut his mouth when Hinata looked as if she were going to burst into tears. "Look," he said awkwardly, putting her hand down. "If anyone's stupid, it's me. I was the one who made you cry."

"I…what?" Naruto's words utterly baffled her. Had she cried before she fainted?

"It's my fault," Naruto continued. "I didn't realize until this morning what was really going on. I mean, now that I think about it, it was obvious, but I didn't become aware of it until you told me."

Naruto had completely lost Hinata now. Her mouth opened and closed as she stared at him in bewilderment. 

"But when you…when you kissed me, and then told me how you felt, I was shocked. I didn't believe it at first…and I didn't say anything. I didn't mean to make you sad." Naruto looked apologetic. 

"What!?" Hinata cried suddenly, horribly confused. She'd kissed him and confessed her feelings before she fainted!? 

"I-I guess what I'm trying to say…" Naruto said, placing a hand behind his head to scratch it nervously. Is that I really like you too…" His face flushed darkly at these words. 

Hinata merely stared. 

_He didn't say…what I think he said…did he?_

"And you make really good ramen too!" Naruto added, grinning through his red face. "I didn't know you could cook so well!" 

Something clicked in Hinata's head. Ino…could she have…used that one technique? That one that takes over a person's body? That would explain the Hinata's inability to remember past her shoving a present in Naruto's hand. Then…Ino must had told Naruto everything! And even kissed him!  

Hinata wasn't sure whether to strangle Ino or kiss her.

"Hinata?" Naruto asked, worried by her silence. 

"It's okay, Naruto-kun," Hinata said, flushing. "I-I'm just really happy…"

Nervously, Naruto placed his hand on hers. "Me too!" He said with an embarrassed grin.   

~~~~

"Good move," Shikamaru observed as Ino captured on of his shogi pieces. 

"I win!" Ino cried, jumping up and down happily. "I've never beaten you before today!"

"Well…I did go easy on you," Shikamaru said with the barest hint of amusement. 

"Oh, shut up!" Ino chastised. "I beat you fair and square!" Giggling, she leaned down to peck a surprised Shikamaru. 

"My my, what's going on here?" 

Ino nearly jumped five feet in the air when she heard the voice of the Hyuuga successor. "Hinata!" Ino said awkwardly, a blush creeping to her face. Hinata's usual kind face was different than usual. She looked sort of…scary. Was she mad about her using the Shintenshin no jutsu? 

Busted, Shikamaru thought. How troublesome. 

"So you're awake! Did Naruto come to see you? Eh?" She jeeringly poked an elbow into Hinata's side, hoping to steer her away from the topic of her and Shikamaru.

"Ino! Who gave you permission to use my body?" Hinata asked, her eyes much darker than usual. She inched closer towards Ino. 

Ino blanched. "Ah…well, I really wanted to help you out, Hinata-chan! I mean…Naruto was so dense…I couldn't just sit around and watch him hurt you!" she protested, holding up her hands in defense. "I had your best interests in heart! Honest!" As Hinata approached closer, Ino began to sweat, growing increasingly more nervous. Hinata's arms were outstretched, as if ready to grasp her neck and squeeze. Ino took a step back, trying to increase the distance between them. 

"Hinata-chan, no!" Ino cried as Hinata charged towards her, her pale eyes boring into her own. She let out a sharp cry of terror as Hinata wrapped her arms around Ino's torso whist smiling rather evilly. Ino prepared to shriek until Hinata rested her head against Ino's chest. 

She was…hugging her?

"Thank you, Ino-chan" Hinata said softly, squeezing Ino tightly. "You are a kind person." 

"R-Right," Ino said, practically fainting with the realization that Hinata wasn't about to smash all her inner organs with her gentle fist. "I-I was a little afraid you might be upset…or something like that," Ino said cautiously.  

"Well, I was at first," Hinata said. "But, it's not like you showed him my panties or anything indecent like that," she smiled as if this thought were ludicrous. 

"O-Oh! Yeah…I'd never do that, that's just messed up," Ino lied, secretly grateful for Naruto's obsession with ramen.  

"If you hadn't helped me yesterday…I wouldn't have done anything." Hinata continued. "And…and I wouldn't have a friend." 

"A friend?" Ino repeated, confused. 

"We're friends now, right Ino-chan?" Hinata asked, looking up at her hopefully. 

"Of course!" Ino agreed, pulling Hinata down on a cushion. "Now you have to tell me everything that happened when Naruto came to visit!" Ino commanded. It must have gone well if Hinata wasn't going to kill her. If Naruto _did _fall for Hinata, then Ino was a genius! 

"Nope," Hinata answered slyly. "I want to know what happened between you and Shikamaru," she added, causing Ino and Shikamaru to both start in surprise. 

"Uh…" Ino started.

~~~~

_Four months later…_

"Ah, what a beautiful day," Ino exclaimed to the person who's hand she was clutching tightly. 

"I suppose so," Shikamaru said, giving Ino's hand a playful squeeze. He leaned over to kiss her gently.

"Oh no, we're late!" Ino cried before Shikamaru's lips could reach her. She glanced at her watch. "We were supposed to meet Naruto and Hinata at the barbeque grill ten minutes ago!" 

Shikamaru suppressed his groan and allowed himself to be dragged by Ino. He might have once objected to being as whipped as he was, but he discovered Ino wasn't that overbearing _all_ the time. Those times…they were nice…nice enough to make him not care about being whipped. He did love that girl…no matter how she treated him. 

Upon reaching the restaurant, Ino and Shikamaru took a seat to the already seated Naruto and Hinata. It seemed they hadn't noticed their tardiness, as the two were obviously not paying attention to anyone other than themselves. 

"Ahem," Ino cleared her throat, causing Naruto and Hinata to hastily unlock their lips from each other.  

"Couldn't you have been a few more minutes late?" Hinata asked Ino in mock annoyance. Naruto laughed embarrassedly. 

The Hyuuga girl had loosened up noticeably or the last few months…probably hanging around Naruto and Ino as much as she did had some sort of effect. The confidence that she had in herself now practically made her shine. The shy, unsure little girl that Hinata had once been was slowly disappearing. 

Why, she'd even almost beaten Neji last week in a match.

"Sheesh you guys don't have to go at it all the time," Ino complained. "Get a room or something!" Secretly she wondered why Shikamaru didn't kiss her like that in public. Damn that boy and his modesty.

"Shall we order?" Shikamaru said quickly, recognizing the look on Ino's face as something _not _good. 

"Hey look!" Hinata exclaimed in surprise, motioning to the door. 

Everyone spun around to see the distinctive face of Rock Lee, who had just entered the restaurant, looking rather dejected. His arms hung below him as if they were trying to reach the floor, and his back hunched over as if it were deformed.

"Hey, thick-brows!" Naruto called, waving him over. Lee's shuffled over to them, his head staring at the floor. 

"Hi everyone," he said lifelessly as he took a seat. Everyone exchanged a glance. This was very unlike the usual boy that was annoyingly full of life.     

"What's wrong?" Ino asked. "You look like you just lost your best friend."

"Oh, it's just the usual," Lee said, stealing a piece of meat from Shikamaru's plate. He chewed unresponsively. "I asked Sakura-san out on a date and she said no." 

There was a brief moment of silence, until Ino pounded her fist on the table very loudly, causing everyone to flinch and stare at her in surprise. 

"I-Ino?" Shikamaru asked, wondering what was wrong with her. Then he saw the look in her eyes. 

Crap. Not again. 

"Lee…you don't have to worry anymore," Ino said, and Hinata gasped at the look in her eye that she recognized all too well. Lee looked up at her in surprise, blinking absently.

"It is now my life mission to get you and Sakura together! I will succeed even if it costs me my life! This will be my ultimate test!" Ino grabbed Lee's shoulders and practically shook him senseless.

"I-Ino-san," Lee cried, his eyes bright with tears. 

"We'll make sure that forehead girl can't say no to you!" Ino said, cackling as if she were mad. "Just lay all your worries on Ino-sama!" 

"I-Ino, let's not be hasty," Hinata said in vain. 

"Love will prevail!" She shouted, grabbing Lee by the arm and dragging him out of the restaurant. 

"Well…there goes lunch," Shikamaru grumbled.  

"She's scary," Naruto said, shivering. 

"Y-you don't think she'll do a mind switch, do you?" Hinata asked, worried. Ino in Rock Lee's body would be *so* wrong. And there was no telling what she'd do. She glanced at Shikamaru nervously.

Shikamaru shrugged. Ino was Ino. That's why he loved her so much. Sighing, he got up and shuffled after Ino and Rock Lee. At least he could keep her in check. Even if she was rude, loud, and demanding, there was still that side of her that he hadn't seen until now. The part of her that kept him coming back for more. 

Shikamaru finally understood why his dad stayed with his mother. Women…they weren't as bad as they seemed. Life would certainly get a little more interesting, that's for sure. 

~owari~

And there's the end to this little fic! I hope you all enjoyed it! ^_^


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